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Post by andrew111 on Jan 1, 2022 11:53:04 GMT
This is all very well but what about the result from North Staffordshire? Unfortunately the 1878 North Staffordshire by-election offers us very little in the way of excitement. The by election was caused by the elevation of Charles Adderley to the peerage as Lord Norton. Adderley had been in the Commons since 1841, but in 1874 when he was forced to fight a by election as he had been made President of the Board of Trade, having already fought yet another by election in 1858 when he had been appointed Vice President of the Privy council for Education. Neither by election proved too strenuous for him though as he was unopposed in both. The Ashby De La Zouch Gazette gave an insight into the slightly less than open process in 1878. It reported that the nomination had taken place at the town hall in Stoke on Trent, attended by The High Sheriff and Acting Under Sheriff and noted that " The proceedings were conducted with the utmost quiet, and few people outside the room were probably aware what was going on". The only nomination made was Mr Hanbury, a Conservative and "After the expiration of the appointed time, Mr Hanbury was declared dulyelected".What would have happened if someone else had turned up with his proposer and seconder isn't clear, but it seems fair to say that they weren't expecting anyone else . So no by election shock here. But the other theme was of a Liberal triumph at the polls. The unopposed by elections might give you an idea that this constituency was a Liberal desert where only Tories feared to tread, but you would be wrong. The Whigs had won the initial (1832) contest in the two member seat with candidates from two famous political families: One Oswald Mosley and Edward Buller Yarde Buller, who later changed the family surname to Manningham-Buller. One of the two seats was lost in 1841, and both in 1847 with Buller failing to regain it in 1857, but succeeding in 1865, and holding it in 1868. But the Liberals did not contest the seat in the 1874 general election or as, we have seen in either of the by elections. But when the 1880 General Election rolled around... Perhaps we should have a new Finso's previews thread on by-elections that could have taken place if only the name of the constituency or ward were slightly different? Is a new challenger to the current Previews belt holder going into training though?? |
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 12:13:33 GMT
Almost exactly one month later Mr Craig faced his first meeting with the general public at the grandly named Imperial Circus, Hanley which was, as was often the case, filled to capacity. Mr Craig said that he had read the Prime Minister's (Disraeli) manifesto and had to confess that he did not understand it , but had not met anyone else who did either. He pronounced the Prime Minister "the mystery man and educator of his party" , which sounds like a description Disraeli himself might have quite warmed to, although Mr Craig said that the mysterious manifesto should lead to an end of his role as an educator. He might have been looking for a laugh there, but if he got one it isn't recorded in the reports. Craig set himself against the government's conduct in Afghanistan and South Africa which might have signalled him as a progressive Liberal, but was not in favour of disestablishment of the Church of England (unless everybody was) or the independence of Ireland (ditto) , both of which point to him as more of what came to be called a Liberal Unionist. His address was seconded by Mr W S Allen, MP for Newcastle under Lyme (1865-1886), who was later briefly elected an MP in New Zealand, Mr W Brown the Miners agent (the constituency had suffered a terrible colliery disaster in January of this year) and from the local government side of things, one Alderman Boothroyd. 
"The resolution was carried amidst great enthusiasm, the audience rising en masse, cheering, and waving hats and hankerchiefs".
One other thing worth noting here is the report of a canvass meeting with a collier in Newcastle who was reported as saying that "When the Blues were in office he had beef for his dinner, but since the Conservatives came to power he only had a bit of bacon". So the 'Blues' here were the Liberals, another interesting anecdote about historical political colours. |
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timmullen1
Labour
Closing account as BossMan declines to respond to messages seeking support.
Posts: 11,823 
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Post by timmullen1 on Jan 1, 2022 12:30:49 GMT
The Imperial Mission Hall, by turns a circus, a theatre, a circus again, the Roxy Cinema, and finally a nightclub, burnt down in 1977, and a warehouse was built on the site.
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neilm
Non-Aligned
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Post by neilm on Jan 1, 2022 12:48:22 GMT
Disbarred, he wrote an eight volume history of the case, founded the Magna Charta Association, went on a Nationwide tour to promote his er, theories, won the Stoke by election and then published a book in which he claimed to be the twelfth messenger of God. Didn't he claim to be messengers of God before he was an MP? |
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 12:48:41 GMT
A week later The Potteries Examiner was travelling again with Mr Craig , and on a very busy Saturday , he set out in his coach from Stoke, visited Chesterton and Audley where a large open air meeting was held and where he was greeted by a procession of youths with blue banners, a brass band and flags. The coach was unharnessed at some point and the carriage drawn on by local residents instead! In the evening there was a meeting at Burslem Town Hall with political songs (accompanied by someone on the Town Hall organ)which included "Auld Lang Syne". On Monday he was at Newcastle where the object was to address farmers who might have come in from the surrounding district. The chairman noted that the Tories had said Mr Craig wasn't a good fit for the area as he didn't own land, but he thought that brains were more important than acres. In the evening the caravan moved onto Silverdale Market Hall, and on the following day to "certain of the outlying districts in the extreme north of the county", which included Ipstones where two thirds of the electors were said to have pledged to vote for Mr Craig, Butterton and Waterhouses where "several persons in a state bordering on intoxication" caused the meeting to break up in some confusion . On Wednesday at Uttoxeter it was noted that "there were many ladies present", and Craig admitted to living in a pleasant district close to the House of Commons where one of his neighbours was a member of the Tory cabinet, Lord John Manners who also "did not live among the people he represented". So what were the Tories doing? At their meeing in Wolstanton a man "dressed somewhat peculiarly and with his face painted" * mounted the platform and ringing a bell loudly attempted to have his say on Mr Hanbury but "he was taken hold of and ejected". I'd love to know who he was and how he was actually dressed.There were further disruptions at Uttoxeter with cries of "donkey" and "turncoat" and the brandishing of a rabbit's foot, which lead to a struggle when a Hanbury supporter attempted to "capture the objectionable limb". Votes of confidence were either passed with a small majority or abandoned as the meeting descended into chaos, the chairman saying that "it was not a meeting of electors". Although it may be political bias, the Tories do seem to have had a much rougher time of it.
* but not, as far as we know wearing horns.
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 12:49:20 GMT
Disbarred, he wrote an eight volume history of the case, founded the Magna Charta Association, went on a Nationwide tour to promote his er, theories, won the Stoke by election and then published a book in which he claimed to be the twelfth messenger of God. Didn't he claim to be messengers of God before he was an MP? Nothing about the man would surprise me. |
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 13:11:26 GMT
And so to polling day , which seems to have been Wednesday the 7th of April. Compared to the campaign there appears to have been little incident on the day itself, and it was noted that voters had gone to the polls "without molestation". The number of polling stations is recorded as thirty seven, with the ballot boxes opened at half past eight and counting finished at half past ten, no next day counting for them. The expected result came to pass with Craig topping the poll and Hanbury losing his seat in third place. The name of Mr Hanbury, who appears not to have attended the declaration, or at least isn't mentioned was booed and jeered and mention had been made during the campaign of his unpopularity even among Tory supporters. Craig and Davenport gave the customary thanks to the election officials and said that they would work together for the good of the constituency. The Staffordshire Sentinel picked out the behaviour of the policeman on duty outside the counting room, who apparently threatened personal violence against those making enquiries or trying to gain access. They even published his police number so he could be identified (325 if you're interested). The paper declined to judge whether he was over awed by his role or just drunk. The result was conveyed to other centres of population by telegram, and final note was made that no less than four and possibly up to seven MPs cast votes in the contest, including Beresford Hope (Cambridge University, but previously Stoke), Edward Hicks (Cambridgeshire), William Bromley-Davenport (North Warwickshire) and Henry Wiggin (East Staffordshire) .
William Young Craig (Liberal) 4,821 Harry Davenport (Conservative) 4,333 Robert William Hanbury (Conservative) 3,764
The turnout has been estimated at almost 81%. There had been some talk of the Liberals, emboldend during the campaign, standing a second candidate, but nothing came of it. Might they have won both seats if they had?
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Post by minionofmidas on Jan 1, 2022 20:11:20 GMT
Didn't he claim to be messengers of God before he was an MP? Nothing about the man would surprise me. accd to wikipedia he i'm curious for details. Maybe he was a messenger of God? (Or maybe he actually just translated preexisting French translations?) |
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Post by batman on Jan 1, 2022 21:09:22 GMT
bloody hell finso, I vote for you & you post about the WRONG CONSTITUENCY.
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Post by greenchristian on Jan 1, 2022 21:20:49 GMT
bloody hell finso, I vote for you & you post about the WRONG CONSTITUENCY. The other day I saw him posting about Oswestry when he was actually in Wem... |
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 21:54:12 GMT
bloody hell finso, I vote for you & you post about the WRONG CONSTITUENCY. It's the right wrong constituency. |
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 22:00:04 GMT
bloody hell finso, I vote for you & you post about the WRONG CONSTITUENCY. The other day I saw him posting about Oswestry when he was actually in Wem... "I've been to Oswestry, but I've never been to Wem". |
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 1, 2022 22:05:25 GMT
Nothing about the man would surprise me. accd to wikipedia he i'm curious for details. Maybe he was a messenger of God? (Or maybe he actually just translated preexisting French translations?) “I came into the world with my arms crossed over my breast, which made some gossips declare that Heaven destined me to be an archbishop, and I believe one of my aunts predicted I was to be a pope.”
There is a theory that he started to lose his reason when attempting to campaign for Cork City in 1847, withdrawing before the poll. His letters to electors are something to behold. The Wexford Independent didn't think very highly of his platform : "If rash or malignant denunciation could effect the objects proposed, the Emperor of Russia or the Sultan of Turkey could never be a more absolute autocrat than Charles Gavan Duffy or Edward Kenealy".
If you feel so inclined his daughter Arabella wrote a biography of him which would doubtless give more details . She was a bit interesting herself being a proclaimed anti suffragist and anti feminist, writing several curious books including one called "The Human Gyroscope" (1934) which the Aberdeen Press and Journal summed up thus : "No doubt it is our fault; but we do wish she could bring herself to write in such a way that an ordinary mortal could understand. We are sure she has interesting things to tell if only we could get at them".
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Post by jakegb on Jan 3, 2022 20:13:21 GMT
Late to the party (as a new member).
But I'd be amazed if this doesn't return to the Tories at the next election.
I'm no fan of the Lib Dems, but even I acknowledge their achievements last month.
But how long can they last on an 'ideologically light' platform?
You cannot win elections just criticising the opposition - and when they formulate their next manifesto (which will include policies on the EU, immigration, climate and gender), I think they will turn off many of the naturally 'small c' conservative voters here. I'd expect a comfortable win here for the Conservatives come the general election (possibly a five figure majority).
Chesham and Amersham, with its pro-remain electorate, could be a tougher battle for the Tories on the other hand..
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Post by froome on Jan 3, 2022 20:50:53 GMT
Late to the party (as a new member). But I'd be amazed if this doesn't return to the Tories at the next election.
I'm no fan of the Lib Dems, but even I acknowledge their achievements last month. But how long can they last on an 'ideologically light' platform? You cannot win elections just criticising the opposition - and when they formulate their next manifesto (which will include policies on the EU, immigration, climate and gender), I think they will turn off many of the naturally 'small c' conservative voters here. I'd expect a comfortable win here for the Conservatives come the general election (possibly a five figure majority). Chesham and Amersham, with its pro-remain electorate, could be a tougher battle for the Tories on the other hand.. I don't think there is anyone on the forum who thinks otherwise. Short of a complete collapse in Conservative support nationally, it will almost certainly revert back, but the Lib Dems will obviously do their best to hold onto it. |
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neilm
Non-Aligned
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Post by neilm on Jan 3, 2022 23:59:57 GMT
. But how long can they last on an 'ideologically light' platform? They did pretty well at it from 1988 to 2015. Caught up with them in the end. |
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Rural Radical
Labour
Now living in a Labour held ward at Borough level for the first time in many years
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Post by Rural Radical on Jan 4, 2022 0:49:17 GMT
. But how long can they last on an 'ideologically light' platform? They did pretty well at it from 1988 to 2015. Caught up with them in the end. Being in government caught up with them |
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Post by andrew111 on Jan 4, 2022 0:55:41 GMT
Late to the party (as a new member). But I'd be amazed if this doesn't return to the Tories at the next election. I'm no fan of the Lib Dems, but even I acknowledge their achievements last month. But how long can they last on an 'ideologically light' platform? You cannot win elections just criticising the opposition - and when they formulate their next manifesto (which will include policies on the EU, immigration, climate and gender), I think they will turn off many of the naturally 'small c' conservative voters here. I'd expect a comfortable win here for the Conservatives come the general election (possibly a five figure majority). Chesham and Amersham, with its pro-remain electorate, could be a tougher battle for the Tories on the other hand.. The reality is that governing parties lose elections because they become unpopular, not because other parties suddenly become popular. The Lib Dems regularly get a "best manifesto" rating from the commentators but no one bothers to find out what is in it, so it is a bit pointless. If the Tories go into an election on 35% or less we will win a bunch of seats. If they are on 43% again, we will not. Chesham and Amersham is 51st on the target list so an unlikely hold. N Shropshire highly unlikely |
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Post by andrew111 on Jan 4, 2022 0:56:47 GMT
They did pretty well at it from 1988 to 2015. Caught up with them in the end. Being in government caught up with them Plus breaking the pledge and forgetting the long spoon |
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Post by elinorhelyn on Jan 6, 2022 12:43:20 GMT
Massive difference in turnout between NS and OB&S. Can someone opine why?
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